CLUB B5 - VW Passat Page

Re-Appreciating Your Passat by atomicalex
September 09, 2004

If you want to appreciate your Passat again, take a road trip in your 1982 Rabbit Convertible.

I spent most of June and some of May on the road in my Passat for work. I traveled to Ann Arbor a couple of times, to DeKalb, IL, and to Cleveland (twice). All in all, I racked up about 2500 miles in 5 weeks. I stuck a trip to Toronto in the Golf in there, too. After all that (and the fact that it rained in Michigan for the entire spring), I was determined to get the Rabbit out and get a tan.

I spent a few hours checking her out to make sure she was ready for the 500 mile round trip to Whitehall, MI for a work retreat. I checked bolts, connections, the not-always-working speedometer gear, etc. You name it, I checked it out. My biggest fear was that the alternator would fall off again. So I packed tools – ratchets, screwdrivers, two adjustable wrenches (space saving!), a routine socket set (in fractional and metric), and a couple of maps. I stored a few friends’ cell phone numbers in my phone, loaded in my golf clubs (they fit fine, thank you), my suitcase, and my laptop bag and rolled out. I cranked the tunes, settled into the best stock seats VW has ever made, and enjoyed the bone-shaking ride only my little baby can provide.

I got about 125 miles. No start after fueling up. Get out the phone, start calling people, make a few educated guesses (with some help from a fellow B5er), and figure out that the battery is dead to the point it won’t take a charge from anything. Forgot the blasted multi-meter. So I buy a new battery at the home center that happened to be next to the gas station she died at. Call and cancel the tow truck, give my buddy a $20 for gas, and hit the road again. Spend most of the trip trying to compute the mileage in my head (~29mpg!). Run without headlights until flashed by a cop because I didn’t pack the voltmeter and can’t check the alternator output. Tried to figure out what the actual outside temperature was. Leaned over (took a few tries) to crank up the window on the passenger side. And so forth.

All 2500 miles in my Passat, I never worried about a thing. I knew my top wouldn’t leak, my battery was good, and my gas mileage (instant or trip). I knew my odometer was spot-on. I wasn’t worried about cleaning out my tool chest into the wayback prior to leaving the house. No sticky throttle cable. No nearly broken motor mounts sending the car lurching forward in first gear. Fifth gear clicked in crisply every time. If you don’t think the Passat tranny is very crisp, try a 22 year old A1 with 153 thousand miles on it. I am sure you will agree with me. So many little things that make driving less of a hassle and in some ways more fun and certainly more relaxing.

When I got home from Whitehall, I discovered that we were in need of a milk run, so I hopped in ol’ reliable and hit the road. I reveled in the luxury that the Passat provides and effortlessness of driving it. Electric windows are a seriously wonderful thing. The sunroof is great – putting up the new top on the Rabbit is a two-person job. I had found myself constantly looking for the nonexistent MFA in the Rabbit, it was wonderful to see it again. No cranky idle loop, no annoying all-season tires, and no worries.

I love both of my cars. They are both fun and rewarding. But the Passat has a clear lead in refined driving. About the only thing it doesn’t lead on is seats. My butt was already hurting by the time I got home from the grocery store!

New Page 1

For discussion on this article, please visit the B5 Beat discussion forum.

Back to the B5 Beat